Interconvertible bed or couch



(No Model.)

B. R. LEIGHTON. INTERGONVERTIBLE BED 0R COUCH.

No. 584,375. Patented June 15, 1897.

V TE-l- I IJNTTEE STATES PATENT @EETQE.

EUGENE R; LEIGHTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERCONVE RT'IBLE BED OR COUCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,375, dat d J 15,1897. Application filed November 2'7, 1896- Serial No. 613,659. (Nomodel.)

To (all whmn it 777,!LZ/ (mnccrn' Be it known that I, EUGENE R.LEIGHTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInterconvertible Beds or Couches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to interconvertible beds and couchesthat is,to beds which are capable of being folded into the form of a couch andof being converted from the latter form into a bed, as shown in PatentNo. 504,565, dated July 21,1996, granted to me.

It is the object of the present invention to provide improved means forlocking the side frames of the bed in their elevated or raised positionsand to add such other improvements as will simplify its construction andrender it more efficient and ready for use and manipulation thanheretofore.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I haveillustrated upon the drawings, and which I shall now proceed to describein detail, and then point out in the claims hereto annexed.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the samelettersdesignating the same parts or features,

as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, it beingillustrated in the form of a bed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. at is an end elevationshowing the invention in the form of a couch with the side framesdepending from the main frame. Fig. 5 is a partia1ly-longitudinalsection through the device to illustrate more particularly my improvedmeans for locking the side frames in their elevated position. Figs. 6and 7 show in detail the manner of jointing or hinging the said framesto the main frame.

Of the drawings, a (1 indicate the end standards, which are of the shapeshown in Figs. 3 and 4 and rest upon rollers or casters aa. Projectinginward from eachof the standards are two studs a a riveted or otherwisesecured to a tubular cross-bar 1), upon the upper periphery of which aflat strip 1), as shown in Fig. 1, is secured. Depending from eachcross-bar b which projects at the ends be-.

side bars 0 c, and the braces b all form the main frame of the bed orcouch, and to it are hinged the side frames, which are adapted to beelevated by means of lazy-tongs, actuated by a foot-lever, as I shallnow describe. Into the ends of the tubular cross-bars b are insertedplugs e, as shown in Fig. 6, each plug being formed with an ear or luge, to which is hinged by a pintle e an ear or lug e of another plug 6,driven into a tubular bar f, constituting the end crossbar of one of theside frames.

Depending from the end of each of the bars f is a hanger g, to which issecured the end of each of the tubular side bars h. Hence it will beseen that by raisingthe side frames, composed of the end cross-bars fand the 1011- gitudinal bars h, to a horizontal position I provide a bedsuch as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and by allowing the side frame tohanghorizontally I form a couch such as pictured in Fig. 4.

The tubular cross-bars b and f f, which are jointed together, may beconsidered as a single bar having the ends hinged to the main portion,and upon the said bars are secured, by means of rivets, bolts, orotherwise, a flat strip b, formed in three parts. To the strips aresecured the ends of the Wire-supporting mattress d, which may be of anyapproved style, provided that it allows of the side frames swinging tovertical position.

The tubular side bars 0 and h are dropped below the horizontal plane ofthe mattress to allow of the mattress yielding when a person is upon it,and preferably I drop the bars 0 slightly below the horizontal plane ofthe bars f, for the reason that the greatest weight comes on themattress near the central longitudinal line thereof.

The means for elevating the side frames consists of two levers h h, eachpivoted at It in ears in the end standards,and lazy-ton gs, (indicatedas a whole byt' 2 of which the outer projecting portion of each lever hforms a part, the outer pivot 11 of each set of lazytongs being attachedto the outer end of the end bars on the said frames.

When the levers h are lying in a substantially vertical position, theside frames are allowed to drop, but when the said levers are swung downinto a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, they extend thelazy-tongs and elevate the said frames into horizontal position.

Each of the end standards is formed with a central portion a, connectedto the lower ends of the legs a by horizontal braces a for a purpose tobe described. Preferably each of the end standards is formed integrallyof metal of a minimum lightness consistent with the element of safety.Through a slot a in the central portion a of one of the standardsprojects a foot-leverj, pivoted at its rear end to a V-shaped brace j,riveted to the side bars 0 0, intermediate of the standards. Theprojecting end of the lever is formed with a flat treadlej to receivethe foot, by means of which the lever is depresed, and the body portionof the lever is formed with two earsj connected by links 71 to the endsof the levers h, the said ears j being on the inner sides of thestandards. Thus it will be seen that when the side frames are in theirvertical or inoperative position the treadlej of the foot-lever is inits highest position, as shown in Fig. 4, and by placing the foot uponthe treadle and depressing it the links 71 draw upon the levers h toextend the lazy-tongs and raise the side frames to a horizontal positionto convert the couch into a bed. Lazy-tongs are provided at each end ofthe bed, but only those at one end are employed for raising the sideframes. The footlever slides in the slot, the edges of which formvertical guides therefor, so that it is held against lateral or sidewisemovement, to which it is liable because of the tendency of the sideframes to move upward unevenly. For the purpose of locking the said sideframes in their elevated position so as to dispense with the employmentof supplemental legs attached to them and without the necessity oftouching the side frames themselves I employ latches mounted upon thestandards acting to engage the levers h of the lazytongs at both ends ofthe bed and hold them in their horizontal position.

The latch for the lever end of the bed is indicated by m and is forked,as at m m, to allow for the play of the foot-lever and is also pivotedat its lower end to lugs or ears a 0. projecting outward from thecentral portion a of the standards. Each fork m m is bent inward so asto lie on either side of the central portion a of the standard and isprovided with a projection m for the end of one of the levers h.

The upper end of the latch m is provided with a handle m which may begrasped for the purpose of drawing it forward to disengage the catches mfrom the levers h, irrespective of any movement of the side frames.

The latch n for the lazy-tongs at the rear end of the bed is pivoted atn to the stand ard and has a catch 71 for each of the levers h. Itsupper end is held toward the standard by a strong spiral spring 0, oneend of which is attached to the standard and the other to the end of thelatch, and a link p, consisting of a slender rod or wire, connects theupper end of the latch 47. with the latch on, whereby both of thelatches are held in posit-ion to automatically engage the ends of thelevers h when the side frames are elevated by the foot-lever, and bydrawing upon the handle m of the latch m both latches may besimultaneously disengaged from the levers 71, so as to allow the sideframes to drop.

For the purpose of holding the side frames against vibration the endbars fare connected to the cross-bars b by springs 13, as shown in Fig.7.

Preferably every part of the interconvertible bed or couch abovedescribed is formed of metal, the bars being constructed of metallictubing, so as to render the frames strong and durable.

While the lazy-tongs at only one end of the bed are utilized for thepurpose of elevating the side frames, yet they are employed at both endsfor the purpose of supporting the side frames, and hence they performtwo functions and obviate the necessity of additional means forsupporting the frames after they are elevated.

Preferably the latches are operated at the end of the bed where thelever is located, but this is not essential, as the two devices may bearranged at opposite ends of the bed.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,it is declared that what is claimed is 1. An interconvertible bed orcouch comprising a main frame, a swinging side frame, devices locatedbelow the plane of the main frame for maintaining the side frame in ahorizontal position, means for locking said devices in their operativepositions, and means for operating said devices for raising said sideframe to its horizontal position, where it is held by said lockingmeans.

2. An interconvertible bed or couch comprising a main frame, one or moreswinging side frames, lazy-tongs for elevating said side frames, a leverfor operating said lazy-tongs, and a latch for engaging said lazy-tongsto hold the said frames in a horizontal position.

3. An interconvertible bed or couch, comprising a main frame having astandard at each end, one or more swinging side frames, lazy-tongslocated at each end of the bed and pivoted to said side frame and tosaid standards, and means at each end of the bed for engaging the saidlazy-tongs to lock whereby the side frame is maintained in a horizontalposition by said lazy-tongs.

at. An interconvertible bed or couch comprising a main frame, twoswinging side frames, two pairs of lazy-tongs at each end of the bed,one pair for each end of the swinging side frames, means for actuatingsaid lazytongs to raise said side frames to horizontal position, andmeans for engaging each pair of lazy-tongs to lock them, and cause themto maintain said side frames in said horizontal position.

5. An interconvertible bed or couch comprising a main frame having endstandards, a swinging side frame, levers for elevating said side frameto a horizontal position, a pivoted lever for actuating thefirst-mentioned levers, vertical guides on said standard for holdingsaid last-mentioned lever against lateral vibration and a latch forlocking the side frames in an elevated position.

6. An interconvertible bed or couch, comprising a main frame, swingingside frames, lazy-tongs for elevating said side frames, a pivotedfoot-lever connected to said lazy-tongs for extending them' to raisesaid side frames to a horizontal position, and a vertical guide on oneof the end standards to guide said footlever in its movements, and holdit against lateral vibration.

7. An end standard for an interconvertible bed or couch of the typehaving a main frame and swinging side standards, said end standard beingprovided with a central slotted portion, legs each having a lug toreceive a leverpivot, and braces extending from said legs to saidcentral portion, substantially as described.

8. An interconvertible bed or couch, comprising a main frame, twoswinging side frames, a latch at each end of the main frame for holdingsaid side frames in horizontal position, and means connecting saidlatches together for simultaneously disengaging them irrespective of anymovement of the said frames to allow said side frame to drop intovertical position.

9. An interconvertible bed or couch comprising a main frame, swingingside frames, lazy-tongs for each of said side frames, each of saidlazy-tongs having a lever h extending in toward the central line of themain frame, means for extending said lazy-ton gs to elevate said sideframes to a horizontal position, and a pivoted forked latch having acatch to engage each of said levers h.

10. An interconvertible bed or couch comprising a main frame, one ormore swinging side frames, lazy-tongs at each end of the frame, meansconnected with said lazy-tongs for elevating said side frame, a latch ateach end of the frame for engaging said lazy-tongs to lock the latterwhen the said swinging side frame is elevated whereby the weight of saidside frame is sustained by the said lazy-tongs and means operated fromone end of the bed for releasing said latches simultaneouslyindependently of any movement of said side frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of November, A. D.1896.

EUGENE R. LEIGl-ITON.

\Vitnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, P. W. PEZZETTI.

